Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Monday Oct 21st 1805
May the Great God whom I worship Grant to my Country and for the benefit of Europe in General a great and Glorious Victory, and may no misconduct in any one tarnish it, and May humanity after Victory be the predominant feature in the British fleet, for myself individually I commit my Life to Him who made me.

No doubt Mr Chirac can now claim Trafalgar as a great victory for Europe

"The English fleet is annihilated - Nelson is no more . . . Admiral Nelson did everything to avoid a battle, but we pursued, and came up with him of Trafalgar . . . In vain did the English Admiral try to evade an action; the Spanish Admiral Oliva prevented his escape, and lashed his vessel to the British Admiral.

"It was now who should first board, and have the honour of taking him; French or Spaniards - Two Admirals on each side disputed the honour - they boarded his ship at the same moment - Villeneuve, with the unusual generosity of the French, carried a brace of pistols in his hands, for he knew the Admiral had lost his arm, and could not use his sword. He offered one to Nelson; they fought, and at the second fire Nelson fell; he was immediately carried below - Oliva, Gravina, and Villeneuve attended him, with the accustomed French humanity.

"Our loss was trifling, that of the English was immense.

"After having acquired so decisive a victory we wait with impatience the Emperor's order to sail to the enemy's shore, annihilate the rest of his navy, and thus complete the triumphant work we have so brilliantly begun!"